Control of fleas on pets and in homes by use of imidacloprid or lufenuron and a pyrethrin spray

Objective - To evaluate imidacloprid and the combination of lufenuron and p yrethrin to control flea infestations in households with pets. Animals - 37 dogs and 19 cats in 34 flea-infested households. Procedure - Households were assigned randomly to 1 of 2 groups. Pets in gro up 1 were treated topically with imidacloprid on day 0, then once a month f or 90 days. Pets in group 2 were given lufenuron orally on day 0 and at mon thly intervals for 90 days and also were treated topically with a pyrethrin spray every 1 to 2 weeks throughout the study. Flea numbers in homes were assessed by use of intermittent light traps, and flea burdens on pets were assessed using visual area. counts done once a week during the first month, then every other week. Results - One application of imidacloprid reduced flea burdens on pets by 9 6 and 93.5% on days 7 and 28, respectively compared with day-0 burdens. Fol lowing 3 applications, flea burdens on pets and in homes were reduced by 98 .8 and 99.9%, respective ly. Lufenuron and pyrethrin spray reduced flea num bers on pets by 48.9 and 91.1% on days 7 and 28, respectively. By the end o f the study, this combination reduced flea burdens on pets and in homes by 99.2 and 99.7%. respectively. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance - Imidacloprid applied topically or lufe nuron administered orally along with a topically applied pyrethrin spray we re effective in eliminating fleas on pets and in homes. Flea control can be achieved with topical application of adulticides or oral administration of insect growth regulators without concomitant treatment of the surroundings .